A Very Sordid Wedding

An anti bigotry film is very welcomed, but this film is horrendous. The characters are foul mouthed, talk all the time and just won't stop being nasty to each other. There is constant bickering, and nonstop negative interactions. It is such a pity that an anti bigotry film ends up being nasty and negative.

A Very Sordid Wedding (2017) was written and directed by Del Shores. In 2000, Shores directed Sordid Lives, and, after that, there was a Sordid Lives series on LOGO. (Everyone in the theater apparently knew all about LOGO, but I had to look it up.)

Before we saw the movie, we read the publicity that told us that there was a backstory to this new movie. However, for us the movie was hilarious, so you can enjoy it without knowing the backstory.

The film is set in Winters, Texas. It's a great example of a conservative, Bible-oriented small town. However, there are some dissenting people among the crowd.

One of them is Latrelle Williamson, played perfectly by Bonnie Bedelia. The other cast members are also very good actors, including Leslie Jordan as Earl 'Brother Boy' Ingram, and Emerson Collins as Billy Joe Dobson.

Whoopi Goldberg has an important cameo role as Rev. Abernatha Coleman.

This is the type of movie that's hard to describe. Something funny happens, and then something funnier happens, and then all hell breaks loose. It will work on the small screen, but it would be better in a theater. This isn't because of the larger image. It's because once an audience starts to laugh during a movie like this, the laughter builds on itself, and everything appears even funnier. (In fact, if you see the movie on the small screen, invite some friends over to watch it with you.)

Del Shores and Emerson Collins attended the screening and participated in a Q&A session afterwards. I didn't have a question, but I had a comment: "My compliments on portraying a serial killer in such a way that you felt sympathy, rather than anger, towards him." That couldn't have been easy.

We saw this film at Rochester's excellent Little Theatre, as part of Image Out, the great Rochester LGBT Film Festival. This is a wonderful movie, and worth seeking out.

I traditionally do post reviews. I liked this movie. When you need to laugh watch this movie and this movie will most definitely do that. The special appearances are well placed in this film as well as the locals from Texas.

I can't write a better review than others have done, except to say I grew up in that part of the world, which makes me a bit of an expert on the characters and setting. I don't talk to my relatives there any longer, BTW - once you see this film, you'll understand why. I know I do.

Not that I wouldn't call them, but, well... just watch the "Jimmy Ray Brewton" (Levi Kreis) character and you get the worst side of that bunch. If you use proper grammar and spelling and occasionally eat a salad, you would find yourself in the same place as Latrelle (Bonnie Bedelia) very quickly.

The eye shadow. The hair. The clothes. Even the accents. East Texas to a nut!!!

I bet you'll like this very sordid wedding, too! I haven't even finished the film yet because I'm taking time to post some of the most hilarious quotes I've ever heard on film!

Save me! Make all the ugly in the world go away!!!

A VERY SORDID WEDDING

SORDID LIVES (2000) became a cult classic almost as soon as it was released. Subsequent to that film hit, a one season tv series was launched. Some of the original film cast repeated their roles, others were replaced.

A VERY SORDID WEDDING (2017) is a follow-up to the original, focusing on healing relationships and bringing about some happy endings. This is all in the context of gay marriage and anti-equality faith denominations denying human rights.

The writing is a bit preachy and heavy-handed, considering if you are seeing the film, you are probably not a right-wing anti-gay conservative, who needs educating.

The iconic roles of Latrelle (Bonnie Bedalia), Sissie (Dale Dickey), and LaVonda (Ann Walker) are more than ably filled by these superb actresses. Bedalia is even better than she was in the original, which is almost hard to realize as she stole that film with her barely controlled hysteria.

Leslie Jordan is back as Brother Boy, attempting to win a drag competition with his one-man, three women (Wynette, Lynn, Parton) show, and just as nobly outrageous as before. Producer/Actor Emerson Collins in a small role as a serial killer gives a stunning performance in a few brief scenes. (I've seen him in other Del Shores productions and he is quite a chameleon and a seemingly brilliant actor.)

My only gripe is that 17 years after the original, Kirk Geiger (aged 48 at the time of filming), has aged facially to the point where pairing him with T. Ashanti Mozelle (33 at the time) seems a December/May romance. It would have felt more appropriate for an older actor to be cast opposite Mr. Geiger, who having originated the role or Ty, should have been retained at all costs in the sequel.

Is it as much fun as the original? No, not really. The gay issue in the original was one of many plot and character story lines. Here it is all anyone is talking about and the film suffers from heavy-handedness, leading to boredom, on a number of occasions.

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has not seen and liked the original. Fun for those of us who have, but hardly a mind blowing experience.